The Australian Council of Social Service call for the Private Health Insurance Rebate to be scrapped is irresponsible and the arguments being used by ACOSS to back its position are, simply put, false.

The private sector plays a key role in Australia’s health system, with 58% of surgical procedures carried out in private hospitals. This includes chemotherapy treatment, joint replacements and other non‐discretionary surgical procedures.

Private Healthcare Australia is working with consumer groups around Australia to help improve health outcomes for patients.

After a series of meetings the groups have a number of agreed goals:
* consumers and private health insurers want choice, value for money and high quality healthcare services;
* keeping private health insurance affordable;
* and better use of the community’s healthcare dollar.

More than half of the General Treatment Cover benefits paid by private health insurance funds on behalf of their members are for dental services. In 2013 Private Health Funds paid a total of $16.15 billion of behalf of members, $4.14 billion for General treatment Cover of which $2.14 billion was paid for dental treatments.

Australian data shows that healthcare outcomes around Australia can vary significantly, depending on the hospital and on the provider. Variations in the method of care, infection rates and health outcomes cannot always be explained by differences in patient illness or patient preference. Some hospitals and providers would appear to provide better care for certain conditions than other hospitals and providers.